An amnesty to prisoners

On the occasion of Malta's accession to the European Union, I would like to appeal to you and the Cabinet of ministers to seriously consider granting an amnesty to all persons presently serving a prison sentence. I am fully aware that public opinion will not be in favour of this but the government is duty-bound to also represent those who are underprivileged. Many of those serving a sentence in prison are victims of circumstances.

This is not a sheer assumption. Various case studies investigated by academics demonstrate that social circumstances play a big part in deciding the fate of those who commit crime. Mr Prime Minister, may I bring to your attention the following arguments, which may help you decide on the merit of such an amnesty?

One young person narrates... "We used to live in Valletta and I was brought up in Strait Street. And you can imagine what I saw. And what I saw I believed to be good in the sense that bad things were good for me. And when my mother died, my father started to drink. And then he found another woman and neglected us altogether" (Young People And Criminal Careers In Malta: The Role Of Social Exclusion - Marilyn Clark Ph.D.). The same academic recommends that: "Maltese society needs to learn to deal with offenders as people in their communities, people who think, feel and act and not simply as problems."

According to a Council of Europe report published in 2000, 47 per cent of inmates in Corradino are actually drug users. Another (or the same) report of the Council of Europe suggests that something like one out of every 20 prison inmates in Malta first make use of drugs while in prison. Many of these are first-time offenders.

Mr Prime Minister, I am sure you understand that drug addicts are sick people who only commit crime to sustain their addiction.

Many will argue that many victims have suffered after being robbed or whose beloved ones were murdered. I understand and share their feelings. I myself was a victim of violence, illegal arrest and robbery. Despite this I choose to condemn the actions and not the persons who committed these crimes.

To all those who want vengeance I can only relate an experience which happened to me eight years ago after participating in a TV discussion programme. An angry man went as far as threatening me because of my views on prisons. He told me he had been robbed thousands of liri in gold and cash. Five years later, the same person phoned me to say he was now in a position to understand why prison should be a place of love rather than a place of punishment. His own son had ended up in prison. His son was a drug addict.

Perhaps we should also ask ourselves whether we have done enough to help these people. When I heard that one of the most timid students I used to teach was in prison I was shocked. I kept asking myself whether I had any responsibility in his fate and whether I had helped him enough to improve his self-esteem. I am convinced I had not done enough.

Mr Prime Minister, I appeal to you and to your Cabinet to consider granting an amnesty to all prisoners. I also appeal to the Labour opposition and to Alternattiva Demokratika to encourage the government to grant this amnesty.